On the road in the USA

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac, Bjorn Agane sets out an epic adventure across America by bus

By Bjorn Agane

It’s Tuesday July 2 and I’m in Boston. My blind date from Los Angeles says to me on the phone, “So why don’t we meet up in Chicago on Thursday?” I reply with, “I’ll see you in Chicago”.

Coming down from my high, I now had a problem: How would I get to Chicago (1,200 miles away) with a small budget, in two days?

My first thought was to check for flights on the internet. Yet two days before Independence Day, flying was not an option for my student budget.

Too young to rent a car, the only remaining option was the bus.

The next morning I found myself On The Road, watching the sights blur by. I was feeling like Jack Kerouac in his famous novel from 1957.

There is this certain feeling of absolute freedom when you are on the road. I was excited, afraid, but looking forward to see what I might encounter next.

Everyone you can imagine – besides the US jet-set – will take the bus sooner or later in their lifetime. You’ll gain insights into the diversity of the everyday American culture and get away from the ‘tourist thing’.

If you are travelling on your own, the bus is a great opportunity to hook up with other travellers from all over the world. You never know if that strange someone sitting next to you might become a best friend for life.

The bus is the only public long distance transportation in America for backpackers. It is affordable and generally available even if you want to catch one the same day. Yet planning ahead, watching out for promotion offers and avoiding holiday-weekends, will certainly save a lot of your money.

I paid roughly £100 ($179) for my 1,200 miles round-trip from Boston to Chicago. You can always pay cash on the spot, but for long trips it is recommend to buy a ticket ahead. Pay online or via credit card.

Big bus depots will have ticket booths but they are generally not open 24 hours a day. Or you might want to get on a bus in a small town on the road.

The buses travel to nearly every possible destination in North America. The only down point is that you might have to change buses in the middle of the night and might have delays. The drivers will kick you out, no matter what.

The biggest plus for riding by bus is that you don’t have to stick to schedules. Whoever comes first, rides first. This means that you should show up at least thirty minutes before departure or you might find you have a wait for the next bus.

On the other hand you have the opportunity to get off any time and continue your ride later on in case you’ve made new friends along the way. And you don’t have to pay extra.

For more information on the Greyhound bus services visit www.greyhound.com